Author: solarenergy
Renewables supplied 71% of Portugal’s electricity in 2024, including 10% from solar energy, while production reached a record 36.7 TWh, according to grid operator Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN). January 3, 2025 Pilar Sanchez Molina Porto, Portugal Image: Pedro Cunha, Unsplash Renewable energy supplied 71% of Portugal’s electricity in 2024, with a record production of 36.7 TWh, according to grid operator REN. REN reported a hydroelectric production index of 1.16, above the historical average of 1, while wind power and solar photovoltaics recorded annual indices of 1.06 and 0.94 respectively, versus a historical average of 1 for both. Hydro and wind…
Revealing the impact of climate-related low solar and wind energy events in China A groundbreaking study led by Dr. Yue Qin and Dr. Tong Zhu from Beijing University has provided critical insights into the spatiotemporal dynamics and underlying causes of composite low-solar-low-wind (LSLW) extremes in China. Using advanced climate modeling and diagnostic techniques, this research sheds light on a growing challenge for renewable energy systems. “Our results suggest that under composite LSLW extremes, renewable energy generation could be significantly compromised,” explains Dr. Yue Qin out. “Even more worrying, climate change could intensify the frequency of such events, escalating threats to…
Tesla’s Shanghai Megapack factory, its first outside the United States, has begun trial production. January 3, 2025 Tristan Rayner By ESS news Tesla has announced the start of trial production at its newly built Megapack production facility in Shanghai, China. The factory represents Tesla’s first Megapack production site outside the United States and further expands the company’s presence in the Chinese market. The Shanghai Megapack facility is positioned to meet growing global demand for energy storage solutions, with an expected annual production capacity of 10,000 Megapack units, or 40 GWh of annual capacity. Tesla has indicated that the Shanghai-made Megapack…
By Brad Kramer January 2, 2025 Del Dotto Winery in Napa Valley has invested in solar technology that will reduce electricity bills by 95%. The winery is expected to save $3 million over the life of the four newly installed systems Mechatron solar energy dual-axis trackers at the winery’s Caves facility on California’s St. Helena Highway. Six more trackers are planned for a nearby corporate vineyard. Del Dotto typically used nearly 370 MW of electricity per year, racking up an annual PG&E bill worth $120,000. The Mechatron trackers, which began generating power in November, are expected to deliver a return…
The hearing starts in March. Image: Zbynek Burival via Unsplash A four-day public hearing will take place as developer Boom Power appeals against planning refusal for a solar project in Yorkshire. Boom Power had submitted a planning application to Wakefield Council in June 2023 for a 22.4MW solar PV power plant, which would be located on 133 hectares of land in Sitlington, Yorkshire. However, the council issued a denial decision in April 2024, citing a number of reasons for the denial. One of the reasons given for refusing planning permission was the location of 8.8 hectares of best and most…
Maxeon Solar Technologies and Tongwei have settled a global patent dispute over shingled solar cell and module technologies, ending a lawsuit filed by Maxeon in Germany in 2023. January 3, 2025 Vincent Shaw and Valerie Thompson Maxeon solar technologies has reached a global settlement with Tongwei, resolving a patent dispute over shingled solar cell and module technologies. Effective November 30, 2024, the agreement ends in June 2023 the lawsuit filed by Maxeon in the German District Court of Düsseldorf, where Tongwei was accused of infringing European Patent No. EP3522045 B1. Maxeon uses the technology in its Performance Line solar panels,…
Tesla’s commitment to energy storage broke its own year-over-year records for the next year in a row in 2024. January 3, 2025 Tristan Rayner Image: pv magazine, Eckhart Gouras By ESS news Tesla broke its own records again in 2024, announcing to the market that it had deployed 31.4 GWh of energy storage for the year. The record came just as Tesla said it had been achieved pilot production in the new Megapack factory in Shanghai. In its fourth quarter production release, the company announced that it had deployed 11.0 GWh of its energy storage products through its Megapack and…
A British-Swedish research team reviewed all models for designing and simulating solar-powered heat pump systems of different complexities. Based on this work, the scientists proposed a new method that combines five models from multiple computer programs into a single analysis tool that reportedly produces accurate critical metrics for engineering, economic and climate impact analysis. January 3, 2025 Emiliano Bellini An international research team has conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the models used to define best practices for designing and simulating different configurations of PV-powered heat pump (HP) systems and identified key performance indicators for electricity generation and total life cycle…
By Brad Kramer January 2, 2025 Adapture Renewables Inc. crossed the finish line three months early with the completion of a 67 MW utility-scale solar project in Hunt County, Texas. The company completed construction and commenced commercial operations of the facility that will generate renewable energy to help meet the growing demand for electricity in the wake of data center growth. The site will support an unnamed corporate buyer, a Fortune 50 company, as part of its broader sustainability goals to achieve net zero targets. “Completing the project ahead of schedule reflects the hard work of our team and partners,…
The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) has issued a final order regarding NV Energy’s three-year resource plan, which takes a positive step forward by holding NV Energy accountable and valuing distributed energy resources such as local solar and storage as cost-effective. measures. In the decision, the PUCN mandates more regular and substantive interactions with stakeholders, with the aim of ensuring that resource planning is thoroughly discussed and feedback is incorporated. In addition, NV Energy has been instructed to improve its behind-the-meter storage (BTM) reporting in future Demand Side Management (DSM) updates and to include additional benefits from local energy…